Helmholtz Forum Earth and Environment

The Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers is Germany's largest research organization. With 18 centers, around 46,000 employees, and an annual budget of approximately 6.3 billion euros (2023), it is also one of the largest scientific research organizations worldwide.

In the Helmholtz Research Field Earth and Environment, scientists investigate the natural foundations of life on our planet—from the land surface to the oceans to the polar regions—in order to better understand the causes and consequences of global environmental changes such as climate change, species extinction, environmental pollution, and natural hazards, and to provide scientifically robust knowledge, innovative technologies, and concrete recommendations to policymakers, industry, and society.

The Helmholtz Forum Earth and Environment (formerly SynCom) bundles the expertise of the seven Helmholtz Earth and Environment Centers and acts as an interface between research, politics, and additional societal actors by specifically incorporating current findings from environmental and Earth system research into political discourse and highlighting evidence-based solutions and action options so that cutting-edge environmental research is effectively taken into account in public debates and decisions.

The following Centers are involved in the Helmholtz Research Field Earth and Environment:

• Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI)
• Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ)
• GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel
• GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences
• Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon
• Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ
• Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

Our Vision

The Helmholtz Forum Earth and Environment contributes substantially to a closely networked Helmholtz Research Field Earth & Environment with scientists who work together to tackle the grand challenges of Earth system research and environmental research. Through scientific synthesis, actionable knowledge is generated - with the aim of influencing the solution to the grand challenges of our time.

Our Mission

The Helmholtz Forum Earth and Environment unites scientists from all seven Centres in the Helmholtz Research Field 'Earth and Environment'. The goal is to develop a deep understanding of the complexities of Earth system research through a scientific synthesis approach. The aim is to provide practical insights and knowledge to key players in politics and industry.